Sound record and process of making the same



March 23 1926. 1,577,931

. J J. w. OWEN El 'AL SOUND RECORD AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Origina1.Filed Oct. 2, 1 217 5 INVENTORS A TTORNA. Y8

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. OWEN, OF SECANE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ALBERTIS- HEWITT, OF CAMDEN,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORA-.

Il IlIOlil' OF NEW JERSEY.

SOUND RECORD AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

I Application filed October 2, 1915, Serial N0. 53,720. Renewed April 27, 1922. Serial No. 557,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES W. OWEN and ALBERTIS HEWITT, both citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Secane, county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, and of Camden, county 01 Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Records and Processes of Making the Same, of which the following is a specifi-' cation.

Our lnvention relates partlcularly to .he

' methods of making such recordsof sound as are used in connection with sound reproducing machines, such as talking machines, gramophones, phonographs and the like, and to the various records of sound made by or during the practice or exercise of the method or process of 1naking commercial records of sound, such as original or master records, matrices, dies and commercial records adapted for use with sound reproducing machines.

Our invention also relates to the method ofrecording original or master records of sound, and particularly to that type or kind of recording in which the original or master record of sound is produced in the negalive; that is to say the original record is in the form of a tablet or cylinder having the record of sound thereon in the form of a ridge of substantially even height and width extending in a generally spiral direction on the face of the disc or around the periphery of a cylinder, which ridge is provided in the side walls thereof with undulations corresponding to sound waves. While our invention has for its primary object the prod-uction of a master record in which the record of sound is a spiral ridge on the face of a disc, the invention is equally ap plicable to the production of cylindrical master records in which the record of sound is a ridge extending spirally around the surface of a cylinder.

The objects of our invention are to produce a record of sound in which the undulations in the walls of the groove ultimately formed, and in the Walls of the ridge primarily formed, correspond as closely as is possible to the vibration of the sound wave impressed upon the diaphragm of the reco di g h nis d r g t e making of the sound record; to produce an original or master record without encountering or overcoming resistance usually oiferedby the surface upon which the record is being made, to the free and unimpeded vibration of this recording stylus; to form on a record blank or tablet a ridge of substantially uniform height and width andhaving in the side walls thereof undulations corresponding to sound waves, said ridge being of material like to or identical with the material of the main or body portion of the tablet; to change the moleculararrangement of a portion of a tablet of celluloid or similar material by dissolving a line-like portion of the material of the tablet to form a line-like ridge composed of a solution of the material of the tablet, then allowing the solvent to evaporate from said solution, or to be absorbed by the material of the tablet, thus permitting the material of the, tablet which was dissolved to revert to the solid state in the form of an integral solid ridge, a negative of the sound record groove in a commercial sound record tablet ultimately produced therefrom; to form amaster record tablet by progressively dissolving the material of the tablet along a line to form, after the dissipation of said solvent, at sinuous ridge substantially integral and homogeneous with the material forming the main or body portion of the tablet; to increase the thickness of a record blank, along a wavy line, the undulations inwhich correspond to sound waves, by applying thereto a line of fluid which acts on or attacks the material of the record blank; to form the original or master record directly in the negative, so that records or matrices havingthe record of sound thereon in the form of a laterally undulatory groove, may be formed directly thereupon by molding, impressing, electrodepositing,-or by any other suitable method or process; and to substantially make the original master record in a form from which commercial records or substantial copies may be directly formed.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an improved sound record which will be free from many of the irregularities and other objectionable features often present in sound'records and which are often incident to the materials used and. the processes heretofore employed to produce records; and to I of the surface of a smooth sheet or tablet of such a material as celluloid is treated with a limited amount of a suitable solvent thereof, the portion thus treated goes into solution and forms a liquid or semi-liquid projection extending outwardly from the adjoining portion of the surface which is not in contact with and has not been affected by said solid. When this semi-liquid mass sets or hardens it reverts to the solid form, due to the absorption, evaporation or dissipation of the solvent and forms a solid, permanent projection of the surface of the sheet or tablet.

\Ve have applied this discovery to the art of making sound records by laying on a record blank of celluloid or similar material an extremely fine stream of a liquid which is' a solvent of the material of the record blank, said solvent being conducted to said surface through or by a stylus operatively connected to the diaphragm of a sound recording apparatus, whereby the said solvent will be laid on said surface as a liquid or semi-liquid line, layer, or ridge, the side walls of which contain undulations -corresponding to the sound waves impressed upon the diaphragm of the recording apparatus.

One form of sound recording apparatus which may be used in carrying out this invention is illustrated in a somewhat diagrammatic manner in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation thereof; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the discharge end of the stylus and of the tablet upon which the record of sound is being forn'ied. It is to be understood, however, that the apparatus shown in the drawings is more or less exemplary, as any suitable apparatus or mechanism which will discharge and apply to the face of the tablet a fine stream of a liquid solvent of the tablet, may be employed.

Referring to the drawings, the sound recording apparatus illustrated comprises the usual or any suitable rotary record support 1, which is arranged to be rotated about a fixed vertical axis by the usual or any suitable actuating mechanism (not shown). Arranged above the record support 1 is the recording sound box 2 mounted upon and communicating with the usual hollow tone arm The said sound box and the parts attached thereto may be arranged to move in a right line slowly in a direction radial to the tablet or turntable 1 or the turntable of said stylus bar. is attached to the center of the diaphragm 4 and the lower or free end of the stylus bar is arranged and adapted to be attached to the lower end of a relatively long hollow or tubular stylus 7. Any suitable means for securing the stylus to the stylus bar may be employed. In the construction illustrated a small rod or wire 8 is passed through a suitable opening in the lower end of the stylus bar 5 and is secured or clamped therein bya set screw 9. The rod or wire 8 carries at its outer end a split ring 10 which may be made to tightly clamp the lower end of the stylus 7 passed therethrough by a clamping scerw 11.

The stylus 7 may be made of any suitable material such as a ductile metal or glass, the material being preferably, however, of such a nature. particularly at. its tip or lower end that it may be drawn down to provide a discharge orifice of extremely fine bore. Preferably the diameter of the bore through the tip of the stylus 7 is made to be considerably less than the width of a sound record groove in a commercial sound record tablet. The upper end of the stylus 7 is secured to the lower end of a suitable reservoir 12 arranged and adapted to contain the fluid which is to be discharged through the hollow stylus on to the tablet. This reservoir 12 is indicated as being adjust-ably mounted on a bracket 13, the reservoir resting on adjustmg screws 1414 by means of which the tip of the stylus may be brought to the proper position with respect to the tablet upon which the recordot' sound is to be formed. Any suitable means for forcing the material out of the reservoir 12 and through the stylus 7 may be employed and for this purpose we have shown the reservoir 7 provided with an air tight closure 15 screwed into and fitting the top of the reservoir and the upper part of the reservoir is provided with an opening into which is threaded a pipe 16 adapted to be put into conununication with suitable fluid pressure, that is to say, with, for instance, an air compressor. In this way, any desired pressure may be applied to the top surface of the fluid in the reservoir,

to force the said material through the fine bore of the tip of the stylus 7 in the form of a minute continuous stream of fluid.

Incarrying out the improved process of this invention, asmooth flat disc 17 of celluor with celluloid cement, or with any other suitable solvent of-celluloid. The closure 15 is then tightly screwed in place and the reservoir and the stylus attached thereto are vertically adjusted so that the lowerend of the stylus 7 is very close to but out of actual contact with the-top surface of the celluloid tablet 17 The stylus 7 is then attached to the lower end of the stylus bar by means of the set screws 9 and 11. The turntable or record support 1 is given a rotative movement and the .outer portion of the tablet 1-7 isadjusted so that it will be under the tip of the stylus 7. Pressure is then applied to the fluid in the reservoir 12 through the pipe 16 to force a fine stream of fluid on to the tablet. It is, of course, to be understood that in addition to the rotative movement of ,the tablet about the axis of the turntable, "there is imparted to the tablet a bodily movement with respect to the tip of the stylus so that the material projected upon the surface of the tablet through the stylus will lie on the top of the tablet 17 as a fine line, ridge or layer of the solvent, said line being a spiral-line with respect to the face of the tablet.. I

When then the diaphragm 4 is vibrated under the influence of sound waves and the mechanism is operating in the manner above described, the line or ridge of fluid so deposited on the tablet will be a wavy line, the undulations in which correspond to the vibrations impressed upon the diaphragm.

The fine laterally undulating line, ridge or layer of solvent, thus distributed or discharged upon the record blank 17, attacks, dissolves or acts upon the underlying portion of the celluloid, and that portion of the 5 celluloid thus acted upon is dissolved in the solvent and forms a liquid or semi-liquid line, ridge or layer which later as the solvent is allowed to vaporizeor to be gradually absorbed by the material forming the body of the tablet, hardens or sets and forms a laterally undulatory ridge 18 of solid celluloid of substantially uniform shape in cross section and integral with and projecting from the face or body portion of the record blank 17. I

lhis record blank 17 with the solid undulatory ridge 18 integral and substantially homogeneous therewith, projecting from the face of the tablet, constitutes an original master sound record, from which duplicate con'nnecial sound records each having, an undulatory groove the reverse of the undulatory ridge 18 may be formed by the electroplating process usually employed in duplicating sound records or by any other process.

As has been above indicated, the .tablet on which the record of sound above described is thus formed may be of any suitable size and shape; as for instance, a disc in which the sound record is formed as a generally spiral ridge on a face thereof; or a cylinder-in which the record of sound is'a ridge extending generally spirally around the surface of the cylinder; or a tape in which the ridge runs generally speaking longitudinally thereof;

While We have described celluloid as a material particularly adapted for carrying out the above process, other materials which,

under the action of a solvent, readily dissolve and which after the solvent has been allowed to evaporate or become absorbed, reassume substantially their original solid condition in what may be termed for the lack of, abetter expression an expanded condition, may be used for the purpose.

\Vhen so desired the ridge constituting the record of sound on the face of the original or master sound record may be'made by projecting through the stylus a fluid composed of a solution of the same material as that of the tablet. Thus, the material which is laid on the face of the tablet of celluloid may consist of a solution of celluloid dissolved in acetone or amyl-acetate or other suitable solvent. The operation of forming the original master record when this fluid is used will be identical with that previously. described, except that possibly a higher pressure might be required in the reservoir 12 to successfullvforce the fluid through the stylus, and the action of the solvent in the said solution upon the material of the tablet will also be similar. lVith this fluid used, the resulting ridge will perhaps be somewhat higher due to the addition to or application of the celluloid in solution to the celluloid of the tablet, but when the solvent has been allowed to disappear the ridge will be integral with the material of the tablet and the celluloid which was originally dissolved inthe solution applied will becomea part of the tablet proper. In this modified process the celluloid of that part of the. tablet in operative proximity to the solution'amiears to be dissolved in" the solvent, of the solution and to'be intimately mixed or commingled with the celluloid originally carried by the-solvent. The solution so applied should not be a saturated solution. There should be enough of the solvent free in the solution to act upon or attack. or soften or dissolve the material of the tablet with which it is in contact or active proximity. It will thus be seen that such an unsaturated solution of celluloid is in fact a solx ent of celluloid within the spirit and scope of this invention As a fluid of this character suitable for this purpose. celluloid cement is instanced as being applicable to the process above described.

When the fluid solvent of the tablet is Jfiowed or projected through the agency of a stylus vibrated by and in accordance with sound waves, upon such a tablet as has been above described, the dissolution of that portion of the tablet acted upon by the solventmay be termed a progressive dissolving of the materialof the tablet along a line, said progressive dissolving occurring continuouslv from substantially the instant the fiuid first touches the material of the tablet. The chemical or other action begins at the point of the stylus or at a short distance to the rear thereof while the stylus is laying the fluid on the tablet and progressively continues until'the change is complete; that is to say the fluidlfirst dissolves the material immediately under the line of the fluid forming a solution of the material and then progressively reverts to the solid state.

As has been above indicated the drawings illustrate .in a more or less diagrammatic thread or line of fluid is applied to the sur face of the tablet without interruption during the recording of sound through a stylus having a fine. orifice, said stylus being vibrated by and in accordance with sound vibrations and the end of said stylus being preferably out of contact or engagement with the surface of the tablet upon which the material is being laid. The ridge or line or thread of liquid deposited upon the tablet and the final ridge of solidified material are shown on a greatly enlarged scale since in practice the dimension'of the ridge on the tablet after solidification are extremely minute.v In Figure 3 the spirals are shown as widely separated from each other, but in practice the successive "convolutions lie 'verv close to each other. as for example, a hundred or more convolutions to the inch, measured radially of the tablet.

The fine orifice through the discharge end of the stylus may be made in a number of ways, among which maybe mentioned the drawing down of-a relatively" heavy glass tube having a capillary bore and then breaking the tubeat the point desired, that is to say, where the diameter of the orifice therethrough is of the necessary small dimensions and then grinding the end of the tube around the orifice to give the necessary clearance between the end of the stylus and the tablet. Or a wire of some very ductile .material which maybe drawn to substantially any desired or standard size, as for instance, platinum, may be placed in a glass tube or a tube of other material and the tube drawn down so that the tube envelops the v plating bath.

wire in an acid which does not affect the material of the tube.

The original or master record thus formed by the practice of the above process may be readily duplicated by graphiting the surface thereof to render it electrically conductive and by then depositing directly upon the graphited face a thin deposit of copper, nickel or other suitable metal in an electro- After a suflicient thickness of metal has been so deposited the shell thus formed may be stripped or separated from the face of the master record and backed up in the usual manner. This will produce a metal record provided with a surface in which the record of sound is in the form of a groove in contradistinction to being in the form of a ridge. Dies or further duplicates of the original or master record may be formed from said metal record by any of the well known processes and from such dies con'nnercial records may be made in the usual manner.

The exact reason why the application to the surface of a smooth sheet of celluloid or similar material, of a solvent therefor eventually produces a slightly raised solid line or ridge having a smooth surface and extending outwardly from the surface of the tablet 'of the same material as the tablet after the solvent has disappeared, is not at present fully understood, nor do applicants herein attempt to explain any exact theory therefor or to define accurately the chemical action or physical action which may take place. It may be that in reverting from a dissolved state back into the solid: state, the

particles of the celluloid are not so compactly or densely arranged as they were prior to their dissolution in the solvent and that the material occupies agreater sp'ace than it did before. It may be that thematerial of the tablet is expanded orswollen' by the permanentretention therein of a small amount of the solvent employed. 'VVhatever the cause is or reasons for this actionniay i be, it is the ultimate result and the process 11 by means of which that ultimate result is obtained, which form the invention'of the present application. In other words the invention is not to be, construed as being limited to any definite theory. Any original sound record tablet, having on the taco thereof a ridge of substantially uniform height and width and having in the side walls thereof undulations corresponding to sound waves, formed by the application to a,

surface of a line, ridge or layer of a fluid which will virtually increase the thickness of the material of thetablet along a narrow sinuous line and roduce a ridge or raised line substantially mtegral with the material 139 of the tablet; and any method of makin such a tablet are fully Within the aim an scope of our. invention.

It may here be noted in conclusion, that one of the advantages of the process above described resides in the fact that the process may be and preferably is practised under ordinary atmospheric conditions and'that ordinary atmospheric changes do not affect the efliciency of the same or interfere with the chemical or other actions above mentioned.

Having thus described our invention, what acclaim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of forming a record of sound which consists in projecting upon the smooth surface of a moving celluloid tablet, a minute jet of a fluid, which is a solvent of the material of said tablet, and simultaneously vibrating said jet by and in accordance with sound waves.

2. The method of forming a record of sound which consists in projecting upon the smooth surface of a moving celluloid tablet a minute stream of a liquid solvent of celluloid and simultaneously vibrating said stream by and in accordance with sound waves.

The method of forming an original or master record of sound which consists in producing, a relative movement between a stylus and a sound record blank having a surface composed of celluloid, vibrating said stylus by and inaccordance with sound waves, and depositing by said stylus on said celluloid surface a laterally undulatory line of a liquid solvent of celluloid.

l. The method of making a sound record tablet which consists in progressively forming on a face of a hard sound record blank or tablet, .a line-like ridge and simultaneously providing said'ridge. with lateral undulations corresponding to sound waves,

said ridge being integral and substantially homogeneous with the main or body portion of the tablet whereby is formed a patrix for pressing sound record tablets in plastic material.

5. The method of making a record of sound which consists in laying on the smooth surface of a tablet of suitable material a minute ridge of an agent which attacks or acts on that port-ion of said tablet in active contact therewith and forms a ridge sub-.

stantially integral with the material of said tablet.

surface of a tablet of soluble material, a-

minute ridge of a fluid solvent'of said material to dissolve that portion of said tablet acted upon by said fluid and to form a ridge composed of a solution of, the material of said tablet, and allowing said ridge to set or harden and form a ridge of solid material integral with that portion of said tablet not acted upon'by said solvent.

7. The method of making a record of sound which consists in laying on a smooth surface of a tablet of celluloid a minute ridge of a fluid solvent of celluloid to dissolve that portion of the celluloid of said tablet acted upon by said fluid, and form a ridge composed of a solution of celluloid, and allowing said ridge to set or harden to form aridge of solid celluloid integral With the unexpanded portion of said tablet.

8. The method of making a record of sound which consists in applying to the smooth surface of a celluloid tablet a minute ridge of fluid solvent of said celluloid, said ing to sound waves in the sides thereof transverse to the general direction of said line.

9. The method of making a record of sound which consists in progressively applying a minute uninterrupted generally spiral ridge of a fluid solvent of celluloid to the smooth surface of a celluloid tablet, said ridge being substantially of uniform shape in cross-section, and having undulations corresponding to sound waves in the side walls thereof.

10. The method of making a record of sound, which consists in progressively applying to the smooth surface of a tablet of soluble material a minute jet of a solvent of the material of said tablet and vibrating said jet by and in accordance with sound waves to form a continuous solid ridge of the material of said tablet, said ridge being of sub stantially uniform shape in cross-section, and having in the side walls thereof undulations corresponding to said sound waves.

11. The method of making a record of sound, which consists in laying upon the surface of a tablet, through the agency of a stylus vibrated by and in accordance with sound waves, a fluid solvent of the material of said tabletto form a minute. ridge of said fluid on said tablet, said line or ridge being of uniform shape in cross section and having undulations corresponding to sound waves in the sides thereof, to dissolve that portion of the material of said tablet in active engagement with said fluid and to form a similar ridge composed of a solution of the material of said tablet, and allowing said solution to set and form alsolid ridge in shape substantially similar to said fluid ridge, the. material of said solid ridge being integral with the material forming the body portion of said tablet.

12. The method of makinga'record of sound which consists in projecting against the smooth surface of a moving tablet a minute jet of a fluid which is a solvent of a material of said tablet and simultaneously vibrating said jet by and in accordance with sound waves to form a minute solid ridge of the material of said tablet of uniform shape in cross-section and having undulations in the walls thereof corresponding to said sound waves, said ridge being integral with the main or body portion of said tablet.

13. The method of making a record of sound which consists in applying to a tablet a line or ridge of a fluid, said line or ridge having undulations therein corresponding to sound waves, said fluid acting on the material of the tablet to form therewith a solid ridge integral and substantially homogeneous with the material of said tablet.

14. The method of making a record of sound which consists in progressively forming on a tablet a ridge integral and substantially homogeneous with the material of said tablet, and simultaneously forming in said ridge undulations corresponding to sound waves to form an original record of sound capable of being used to form means from which said recorded sound vibrations may be reproduced.

15. A method of forming an original or master record of sound which consists in producing a relative movement between a stylus and a sound record blank, vibrating said stylus in accordance with sound waves, and depositing by said stylus on said blank a liquid solvent of the material of said blank to form a permanent record of said sound waves therein.

16. A method of forming a sound record which consists in progressively applying to the plane smooth surface of a hard sound record blank, a line, corresponding to sound vibrations, of a substance capable of permanently varying the thickness of that portion of the sound record blank with which such substance is in. contact to form an integral permanent ridge out of the material of such tablet constituting a record of sound vibrations.

17. The method of forming an original or master record of sound which consists in producing a relative movement between a stylus and a sound record blank, vibrating said stylus in accordance with soundrecord waves and applying to the blank by means of the stylus a minute line of substance which coacts with the material of the record blank to permanently modify the same so as to form therein an integral record of sound vibrations.

18. The method of making sound records which consists in producing a relative movement between a stylus and a sound record blank, vibrating said stylus in accordance with sound waves and forcing therethrough by suitable pressure a solvent of the material of said record blank and depositing the same on said blank in a minute undulatory line corresponding to said sound waves.

19. The method of forming a record of sound which consists in projecting upon .the smooth surface of a moving celluloid tablet, a minute jet of a solvent of said celluloid and simultaneously vibrating said jet in accordance with sound waves to form on said tablet a ridge of solid celluloid integral with said tablet.

20. A method of forming a permanent record of sound in the form of a patrix and which consists in progressively applying to the smooth surface of a hard sound record blank, a laterally undulatory line of a substance which permanently increases the thickness of that portion of the sound record blank upon which said substance rests to form on said surface a permanent ridge integral and substantially homogeneous with the material of the main or body portion of said tablet.

21. The method of making a record of sound, which consists in progressively forming on the face of a sound record blank or tablet of material not substantially softer than celluloid, a line-like ridge having undulations therein corresponding to sound waves and of a material which acts upon the portion of the tablet with which it comes into contact and upon which it rests to increase the thickness of the tablet along such line to form a ridge which, when allowed to stand, hardens and produces a permanent ridge of substantially the same material as that of the body of the tablet, the patrix so formed being adapted to press records in thermo-plastic material. I

22. The method of making a sound record which consists in projecting'against a'sound record blank a jet of a fluid of a character to expand a line-like ridge from the body of said blank, simultaneously vibrating said jet by and in accordance with sound waves, and effecting a relative progressive movement of said blank and said et.

In witnesswhereof, we have hereunto set our hands this first day of October, 1915.

JAMES W. OWEN. ALBERTI'S HEWITT. 

